Heart of Ice
by Suishou tenka
Summary: Hitsugayas twin Kaishirou is as deadly as she is beautiful. Being a taichou so young is hard. But when rukia's execution is ordered and ryoka invade, her world shatters and nothing is what it appears. OC centric, little romance at the moment.
1. Chapter 1

Several Notes to reader : This is a slight AU, while reading please forget Kommomara and Iba san ever existed. I hold no grudge against these characters (in fact I find kommomara taichou admirable in many ways) However I also needed a slot empty. Apologies to any fans of these characters.

"kai" means release but as a baby name can also mean "forgiveness"."Kaishirou" means "forgiveness white". A little lame perhaps but the alternative "Shiroukai" "white forgiveness" despite having a better meaning just didn't fit in my minds voice so well.

Disclaimer: I'am quite certain I do not own bleach

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_**Chapter one- Antagonistic beginnings**_

_**2 months before the order for rukia's return is issued**_

_The 2000 year old academy produced soul society's shinigami. Only a couple hundred would rise above rank and file. Even less had that vital strength to embody the rank of vice captain. _

_And less than one percent would became __the elite_, **the ****taichous**. The process was slow, Waiting for a suitable individual could take decades. Yet now it seemed fate would graciously allow a buy one get one free offer.

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Slowly, with an age old creak the door to the first division crept open. Two figures wearing the white haori of a taichou silently walked in.

The assembled captains waited in two lines on either side. Their eyes took in the new arrivals, gauging them as they came to stand in the centre of the room. The pair now boxed in by the other taichous.

In rare show of punctuality all the taichous had turned up. Even the often absent Ukitake. Soul society ran in familiar cycles. But this was something of a special occasion.

All _knew _who the pair was before they even entered. No taichou could failed to have heard of the twin prodigies. The white haired phenomenon's graduating from shinigami academy in a year. Who rose to third seat in less than three. Wielding the strongest ice based zanpaktau in existence.

Becoming a taichou so quickly was remarkable. Two at once was unprecedented. Incarnations of heavenly guardians only came once every few centuries and this pair most certainly seemed to fit the role.

The shortest, Hitsugaya Toushirou stood no taller than four ft 5. white spiky hair framed an almost femininely beautiful face. The sword he possessed was almost as tall as hitsugaya, with a jet black sheath strapped diagonally to his back sporting a star shaped hilt. His most distinctive feature was his eyes. Clear Teal eyes that reflected the strength and determination that brought him there.

His face was still a morphic stage between child and adult. No doubt that one day he would acquire an attraction so unique few if any would rival it. His frame was small but suggested a lean wiry strength. His hands were callused by innumerable hours of sword work. The symbol "ten" resided on the back of his haori. He met the gazes of the other taichous steadily.

His twin stood taller by several inches. Hitsugaya Kaishirou's face was the mirror of toushirou's. Only it was as if a sculptor with infinite skill and patience had softened, rounded and chipped away infinitesimal sections. Making them more delicate and effeminate, revealing an extraordinary ethereal beauty. Kaishirou had china white skin. The same achingly beautiful emerald eyes of her twin framed by long eyelashes. Long flowing snow white hair which ran down her back, shimmering in the light.

Her lips were soft looking, complementing cheeks that had a very faint rosy tinge to them. Devoid of calluses her hands looked soft, with slim delicate fingers, yet somehow suggesting a potent strength. Kaishirou's features were more refined, possessing a haunting allure even Toushirou couldn't match. Loveliness that made a heart _ache_. To be perfected only by a smile. Regrettable because her face was smooth and stern, no tell tale hints of laughter crinkles.

_One who smiled rarely_.

Unlike her brother who stood confident and relaxed her body was rigid, radiating tension. Her sword, shorter than Hyourinmara was enclosed in a white sheath adorning her back. The guard was reflective silver, fashioned with geometric elegance as a snow flake. The symbol "seven" rested at the back of her haori.

Dissimilar to her twin her eyes challenged the gazes towards her. The twins rietsu, restrained as typical for a taichous had unmistakable coldness enweaved in it. A chill which could refresh or invoke a shiver.

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni after a long evaluating pause spoke in the loud raspy voice that had echoed in the room for centuries

"Taichou's of the gotei thirteen. As you well know for the last five years the tenth and seventh squad have been without taichou's"

He gestured to the two obviously new taichous. "Recently two received recommendations. 5th squad taichou Aizen Sousuke put forward his 3rd seat Hitsugaya Toushirou"

His eyes narrowed on Kaishirou

"And the 9th squad taichou Kaname Tousen recommended his 3rd seat, Hitsugaya Kaishirou."

His voice would have held rapt a persons attention. That is if they _hadn't _heard it for _**decades **_or more"I as well as five other taichou's evaluated them in the taichou qualification exam. Both proved their proficiency and character unquestionable. It is unprecedented, but I see no reason not to promote both to the rank of taichou."

With excessive gravity and conviction as if declaring war on the entire world he bellowed "Hitsugaya Toushirou will now command the _tenth_!"

He turned towards the other twin. "And Hitsugaya Kaishirou will be in command of the _seventh_!"

A silence greeted his pronouncements. Silences after the Sou taichous utterances were a time-honoured occurrences in Taichou meetings. One meeting made that painfully apparent to the twin prodigies.

Toushirou gave a short but respectful bow "I will serve the gotei thirteen to the best of my ability" he said firmly.

A long awkward pause followed. All waited for Kaishirou to say something. The tension became almost unbearable. He gave a slight sideways glance towards Kaishirou but didn't dare turn completely. His eyes pleaded "Don't be awkward **now **of all times!"

Another few painful seconds….Kaishirou finally gave the merest approximants of a bow. She didn't lower her eyes. She tried to think of something to say. Nothing sprang to mind.

Haltingly she said "Feel free to call me Kaishirou taichou"

There was another long silence before Yammamoto finally barked out "Dismissed!!" Kaishirou sincerely hoped this was not going to be the norm for taichou meetings

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Kaishirou's friendship with Zaraki was unusual, beginning the day after her and Toushirou's appointment as taichou's. Centred on a primal homicidal instinct more than anything else. They rarely talked if they met anywhere in soul society. They barely acknowledged the others existence in captain meetings.

But once or twice a week Kaishirou showed at the11th division without her captain cloak to spar with Zaraki.

Or more precisely the two tried to _kill_ each other.

Resulting clashes all but destroyed the courtyard of the 11th division. It relocated to a crater marked clearing outside. Typical result….both taichous so battered, bloody and bruised they couldn't stand.

It had began as some unusual friendships do, as an argument. A immature, childish, petty argument unbefitting of their positions. But it happened anyway. She had by chance into him coming from the 7th division.

Neither were amiable individuals. Kenpachi in particular was boorish and had a knack of saying things that grated. Kaishirou had an alarmingly short fuse. Hitsugaya Toushirou and anyone in the 9th division could attest to this if Kenpachi had bothered to ask.

One lone patronising comment from the 11th squad taichou at how snotty little kids thought they could play taichou dress up, set Kaishirou off.

Hed barely finished speaking before her white sheath was empty and the blade arcing towards his throat.

Both Realised quickly that any holding back would result in their own death. It escalated out of control. Killing intent blazing, rietsu charged and blades gripped tightly they'd hacked at each other. Unleashing a savagery that would have daunted even the bravest of fighters. The fight destroyed a whole row of buildings, leaving them so numb, fatigued and injured they physically _could not _fight by the end. Or for that rate remember the original reason for it

Dying from blood loss in a ruined, frosted over building close by the 4th division was ignoble and stupid. So they'd agreed to _temporarily _stop cutting each other up and work together getting to the 4th squad, since neither of them could walk unassisted and neither felt like calling for help.

Kenpachi's mammoth weight was draped on her left shoulder. They used their zenpaktau as makeshift crutches, limping their way to Unouhana. It worked out as long as Kenpachi kept her weight off her right leg.

Zaraki's right arm was inoperable as was Kaishirou's left. They had worked out a balance of taking turns, using their uninjured hands to propel themselves forward.

It was awkward, painful, inefficient and the absolute best either of them could think of at that point.

They bickered all the way there with Kaishirou saying he was too heavy and Kenpachi saying she was too short. After the fight however it was half-hearted on both sides. Kaishirou was actually impressed at the joint effort. Considering her inability to get along with people at the best of times, and that a few minutes ago they had wanted each other _**dead**_.

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Kaishirou realised there was no getting around that they were a sight. And _not_ one for sore eyes.

Unouhana, the quintessence of calmness and serenity had looked alarmed at exactly how _battered_ they were. They were still heartily dripping blood all over her disinfected floor. A visibly botched use of kido failed quite miserably to stem the bleeding. One glance at the zanpaktau showed how bad things were. The swords were both chipped, battered and had infinitesimal cracks laced around the edges.

A clear sign of dangerously depleted spirit pressure.

The 11th squad taichou's chest was a mass of lacerated flesh bizarrely was laced with frost. Likely the only reason he wasn't bleeding a lot more. Kenpachi's face was covered in scrapes. His eye patch was missing and his hair had reverted to a lustreless black mane. Legs and arms were covered in deep slashes. His right arm was bent in a way suggesting broken bones.

The white haired girl was in better shape. It was only by the slightest measure and still left her worse for the wear. The left side of her visage was darkly bruised. One eye was swollen shut. Multiple slashes and bruises adorned her arms, blood and bruises standing out starkly across flawless pale skin. The left arm was particularly sorry looking. It indicated tendon damage. At least three serious cuts marked her torso as well as a leg wound that made walking an impossibility.

Their uniforms looked like they'd gone through a shredder and both were covered in dirt. Kaishirou's lustrous white hair was matted, tangled and nearly a different colour altogether.

Unouhana ascertained that by some miracle they weren't in life threatening conditions. She attributed that to an incredible tolerance for pain and injury.

What was _really__ scary_ was how _relaxed_ they were around each other. They had just had a no holds barred, brutal fight. No doubt about it. But if not for the blood you wouldn't have guessed. Zaraki taichou looked _happy_ and even Kaishirou's perpetual tenseness had dissipated somewhat.

Unouhana cautiously asked "Is there a problem I should be aware of?"

The two exchanged a glance. Kaishirou gave the smallest half smile (a rarity in itself) before answering "Not at all Unouhana taichou, me and Zaraki taichou merely had a… theoretical disagreement…on the finer points of zenjutsu."

A humorous spark seemed to dance in Zaraki's steel grey eyes.

"We couldn't agree so we decided a practical demonstration would clear the issue"

Zaraki flashed the type of grin you would expect from a shark "Sounds about right".

"I see" Unouhana said after a significant pause not really _seeing_ at all.

Unouhana decided to go with the approach of taking it in her stride. Even if she didn't know what on earth was going on she had to **act **as if she did. Professionally She sent for some members to assist in the copiously draining treatment.

Unouhana had seen a lot in her three centuries of service, this was abnormal. _Even for her_. She just couldn't shake off the whole oddness of the situation.I've just witnessed the birth of a most _unusual_ friendship she thought. It was just one of those things that you never saw coming. One of those things that you still couldn't quite believe even though it was in front of you. Like a bill arriving immediately after you paid the previous one.

She felt it was imperative to discourage anything like this happening again."It would be best if you inform me of these _practical demonstrations_ beforehand. Even taichou's have limits to their endurance"

Whether Unouhana was talking about them or herself she wasn't sure.

"We'll bear that in mind" Kaishirou said. But Unouhana being perceptive as she was could hardly have failed to see the look they exchanged, or the dark premonition that this was going to be one of _many _such late nights.

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Neither Zaraki or Kaishirou could quantify their reasons for continual killing matches. It _was _true Zaraki hardly needed excuses to fight a taichou class opponent. But he felt an eagerness to these fights unusual even for him.

After all not every individual _came back, _fighting him time after time. Most ended up dead. Or they spent the rest of their lives keeping a sharp lookout for him. praying he never found them (Madarame excepted)

Maybe it was just pent up anger, which they could finally take out on someone with no inhibitions.

Maybe they loved the same rush of adrenaline that came from having your life threatened to within an inch.

Maybe it was the joy of being pushed to the brink of your limits and beyond by an opponent of unquestionable worthiness.

Whatever the reason they developed a fondness belaying the occasion. And unasked they reached a unique understanding of each other.

Kenpachi had the trappings of a simple brute but was both highly intelligent and complex. Kaishirou had been impressed at the profound insights Kenpachi could come up with. His brutality often uncovering a surprising amount of truth.

Her favorite one had been Zaraki saying that opponents fighting were in some ways more intimate than lovers.

No attention could more absolute than a person watching you to anticipate your next move. Fighting someone, you came to know them. came to know things rarely learnt in conversation. like...

How they thought.

How they fought.

How they reacted to defeat.

How they reacted to triumph.

Why they fought.

What drove them when their will was all that sustained them.

An opponent you could be cruelly honest with. More so than a lover because you didn't worry about hurting them. In a fight both love and hate could be felt for an opponent. Unlike lovers you had the option of destroying them. If that wasn't intimacy Kenpachi had claimed, than _nothing_ was.

Kaishirou had grinned and asked if he liked the idea of being _**intimate**_ with her.

He had asked if she did.

Neither replied, both redoubled their efforts to land a finishing blow.

Honestly both felt a little sexual tension just added to the enjoyment. It was secondary to the joy fighting with no restraint. They both understood this and so didn't bother mentioning it. The tension was there, unasked for, unacknowledged but coiled in the background.

Kaishirou had on occasion remarked to herself that she _wouldn't_ have minded kissing Kenpachi. Perhaps in the same dangerous passion that drove their fights. It wasn't as though he was unattractive. Kaishirou would agree with Kenpachi that a kiss was just a brief touching of flesh. Far less intimate than a fight. Not that she was about to tell him that anytime soon…

Kenpachi had likewise been impressed at her transformation to a 4ft 9 killing machine.

Kaishirou could be a cold pinnacle of ruthlessness. Her icy focus matching on par with his most ominous killing intent. Her blade play was matchless. To himself at least he could admit it was in many ways was superior to his own. He knew her speed was astonishing. Hed seen her become a white shadow of death. Seen wounds grace his form before he saw the edge that made them.

Her rietsu was impressive but not the crushing pressure he could exert. Kaishirou's physical strength paled before his own. Kenpachi knew that despite her being the toughest female he knew, he could take yet more punishment. She was also shrewd enough to make these disadvantages mean needed every resource he had and then some to fight toe to toe with her.

Strength vs. speed, skill vs. savagery, cunning vs. fortitude. Most importantly he knew that like him she was a quick thinking, intuitive fighter who fought with her gut instinct rather than logic.

It had been a long time since Kenpachi had been driven to improve so much. He even got to fight her on a regular basis. Kenpachi could safely say he was having more fun now than in at least half a century. It would be a shame if one of them _did_ kill the other.

The fights resulted in massive injuries to both sides. Yet Kaishirou's rietsu even in pain echoed with unmistakable joy. Something matched only by Unouhana's ever increasing despair upon the arrival of the blood-spattered pair.

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As she made her way to the 11th she noticed yachiru at the gate. Kaishirou tossed her a packet of candy Toushirou had practically begged her to take. The thirteenth squad captain in a warm-hearted (and unwanted) gesture to welcome them as fellow captains had lavished the twins with every candy confection known to exist.

Toushirou was partial to watermelon candies and watermelon candies alone. Kaishirou simply loathed candy confections in all shapes and forms. Kaishirou refused to take any dumping them all on her brother. Toushirou's division had become infested with candies. Only the introduction of yachiru to the equation had made his division habitable again.

Watching yachiru rifle through the packet with a squeal of delight made Kaishirou wonder how much _simpler _things were through the filter of a child's eyes.

She kept an unofficial score in her head. Currently she considered herself one up after last week. Kenpachi, uncharacteristically sullen and nursing his groin area had said she'd had played dirty. A rietsu powered double kick to the groin _**hurt,**_ humungous rietsu or not. Kaishirou replied that in this sort of fight there was no such thing.

She grinned at the memory.

Even though they _both_ kept an _unofficial_ score, in reality it didn't matter who won. It was about the fighting rather than who actually came out in the end. It certainly didn't stop them trying to win at all costs, but they were usually both so battered by that point that declaring a victor was indeterminate at best.

She remembered one occasion they'd both passed out from blood loss. Waking up at the fourth division Kenpachi claimed hitting the last had suspicions to this day being unable to remember any better had let it slide.

Seeing Kenpachi taking off his eye patch at the very start showed he remembered the last match clearly enough. Widening her stance to take the edge off the overwhelming spirit pressure a feral grin spread across her face.

Kenpachi had an identical grin.

Kaishirou's soul slayer glowed silver. She fed rietsu into the edges, focusing them razor sharp. Things were _so_ much simpler at the 11th division.

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What Kaishirou didn't realise straight away was that (via Yachiru) rumours of the death matches had spread across the seirieti. The mere mention of Kenpachi sent shudders of fear down lower ranking shinigami. But he was at least a known quantity. The newly appointed taichou of the seventh, Kaishirou was an unknown quantity. rumours hastened to blow facts vastly out of proportion.

Kaishirou did _not_ have a friendly disposition. Her face near constantly leaned to a frown. Her eyes, breathtaking and animated, were too often narrowed close to a glare. People sensed the young taichou was always _tensed_, poised to leap into action (most believed a murderous one) in a flash. Her voice, clear and with a soothing melodious undercurrent was cut off abruptly in conversation and seldom heard.

The only people who could (quite literally in some cases) battle past icy fortifications and lure out a brief smile onto her face would be her brother, Hinamori and surprisingly enough, Zaraki taichou.

It was her eyes above all. Teal eyes burning with a frozen flame. So intense it was quite unreal. It was staring into the eyes of a graceful but fatal predator. You looked into those eyes and saw a glimpse of a spirit so wild, so unrestrained and passionate it both repulsed and captivated you.

It was _**far**_ too much for most people.

Talking felt out of place. Most peoples comparison was talking to a polar bear sizing them up for dinner. It took a person of exceptional strength to look at the eyes without flinching. It took a person with an unparalleled strength to hold a conversation with those eyes and feel _comfortable_ doing so.

Due to this Kaishirou had few friends. This suited her fine until she became a taichou. Whenever dealing with subordinates, even basic matters like reports and orders, they looked like they would _faint _from her mere presence. Her fast turning into legend reputation with Kenpachi made people _edgy _conversing with her. Kaishirou's cold personality did nothing to help.

She was a graceful, ethereally beautiful being that stalked like a predator and enjoyed fighting immortals. Virtually nothing was known about Kaishirou except this. It didn't take long for people to draw the wrong conclusions. Rumours ran rife making her more terrifying with each telling.

Most shinigami probably wouldn't have been surprised if she drank blood. So the 7th squad were more than a little alarmed that she was the taichou assigned to them.

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Kaishirou after a two weeks theorised it was because the 7th squad lacked a vice captain.

An intermediary bridging the gap between cold superior and common soldier.

Kaishirou had originally believed the power gap between a taichou and vice captain was so vast it made them all but irrelevant. But after a week of awkward interaction with her squad…Perhaps Toushirou's busty vice captain _wasn't_ a complete waste of space after all.

She liked to use shunpo to get around quickly in the division, but she had since learned to stop. They could _just about _deal with passing her in corridors. Subordinates going pale, tensing up and finally in a panic going into a deep bow until she passed.

Materialising soundlessly out of nowhere was far _**far **__too much_. Eight division members either flinched uncontrollably or fell over. Two screamed and one convinced he was under attack took a swing at her.

A particularly nervous female shinigami came face to face with Kaishirou round a corner and went into such a state of shock. Her lips were trembling. Her eyes wide. Her entire body shook and her breathing froze. She staggered backwards, tripped over before promptly bursting into tears.

Several division members rushed to see what was going. They made motions to go to the crying girl but froze when they saw Kaishirou. Hovering uncertainly, as if scared she might attack them if they got too close to her prey.

The situation was made more awkward by the sobbing shinigami attempting to hiccup out apologies while avoiding the young taichou's eyes. Kaishirou failed utterly to think up any way of cheering her up, or even stopping the goddamned _noise _without scaring her more.

Realising the best cure was an absence of her presence she ordered her 7th seat (who went rigid when called) to take her to the 4th division. Kaishirou then walked through the crowd which parted with people pushing to get out the way.

She knew it was early days, first impressions as kenpachi had shown could be far from accurate… but it was disheartening nonetheless. Kaishirou did not plan on getting overtly friendly with her subordinates, but she wanted to be able to ask for a damned _**report**_ without the person holding it counting their last seconds alive.

It was _pathetic_.

This was a professional military force. They fought soul devouring monsters daily. Kaishirou got the impression that given a choice of facing her or a hollow most in her division would have gone for the _hollow_ hands down.

If only she could make them understand that killing them would just make paperwork more horrendous by adding death certificates to the already ludicrous workload.

Kaishirou decided to see how her twin was doing in his captainship, visiting his confection littered office. Toushirou found it all hilarious and nearly cracked a rib laughing when she told him about it. She had snapped, grabbed one of the sweets (a large rock candy) and flung it at him.

She asked him how hed gone about running his division for the first few weeks. He told her hed gathered them together and released Hyourinmrara. Informing them that if any of them had a problem taking orders from someone so young they could complain to the dragon.

Knowing first hand how dangerous the dragon appeared Kaishirou wasn't surprised that nobody filed a complaint.

Kaishirou felt her problem was of a _different_ nature. She didn't need to convince her squad to obey orders, they were all motivated (rather pathetically so) to do that.

No….her problem was convincing her division that she wasn't going to _**eat**_ them.

Threatening them with her shikai would obliterate any last shred confidence they had left from the last few weeks. If she was going to avoid commanding a bunch of snivelling wrecks for the foreseeable future Kaishirou was going to have do some spinal surgery, _**fast**_.

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Thankyou for reading


	2. Chapter 2

To previous reviewers. Thank you for your compliments, criticism and insight. The original pairing I decided was Kai/ichi. Its still a long way off and may change.

I also haven't forgotten about Toushirou. He will indeed play a significant role in this story, although perhaps a different one to what you think.

Toushirou will unfortunately be Ooc. He will also be considerably more powerful than depicted in the anime, im sure you wont mind the power boost at least. I will strive to include twin interaction

disclaimer: I do not own bleach

_**Chapter two- Trials and Tricks**_

_**1 week, 1 month **__**before the order for rukia's return is issued**_

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The 7th had been without a taichou for years. It must be said, they'd done an admirable job managing without

Maybe that was why she had neglected her full duties, spending most of her spare time trying to carve up Kenpachi.

Maybe it was because she knew they were frightened by her.

_But in the end the true reason she had been neglecting her division was because Kaishirou __hadn__'__t wanted _to become a taichou. Unlike Toushirou she had no motivation to join the Gotei Thirteen beyond protecting granny's health and letting her know were they were.

Toushirou when very young had been captured by the heroism, the grandeur of the shinigami. The ones who stood holding the line from darkness. Fighting against merciless monsters threatening to consume the world. The idea enthralled him. Kaishirou being more sceptical and judgemental truly felt the age of those extra seconds separating her from Toushirou.

In romanticised delusions her twin had seemed so heartrendingly _young_.

From her youngest childhood recollections the shinigami seemed arrogant. Coolly indifferent to cruelty going on in Rukongai districts. Kaishirou had seen _children__'__s_ corpses, shed seen gangs prey on the weak in less ordered districts. All of which the shinigami turned a blind eye. They might have been stopping the annihilation of the world but they certainly weren't doing anything to make it better.

Learning more in the academy about their soul society's saga only toughened the stance. Central 46 classically made unilateral judgments which were then set in stone. Exterminating the Quincy's and the punctually executing anyone who disagreed with them to name some. It seemed they believed they could make _no possible _mistake in judgement. One _look _at district 80 showed starkly that wasn't true.

Had the last _millennia_ had been enough time to consider improving conditions in the rukongai?

Evidently not.

Kaishirou hadn't believed in their _justice_ then. She still didn't now.

Once granny had died the _**only**_ reason Kaishirou became a shinigami was that she was _**damned **_if Toushirou was going to leave her behind.

Becoming a taichou was merely an extension of the same logic.

There was no passion in the decision. Kaishirou knew her capability inside out. There was no insecurity at passing the test. No sense of accomplishment. No joy in attaining the position or donning the haori.

Becoming a taichou wasn't a desire or dream. It was a change of life, promising a different future, not necessarily a better one. Her responsibilities were an unwanted burden. The partner of an arranged marriage. She had almost laughed when Yammamoto said her character was befitting of a taichou. How could someone who didn't _want _to become a taichou have the right character? Something she also wasn't about to mention to him anytime soon.

It had been so much simpler to take out her frustration on an obliging Zaraki rather than think about how to actually make this _work. _

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She stared at the door.

She had been staring at it for several minutes. Each time she curled her hand to knock the said had took on a life of its own, uncurling again.

Kaishirou prized herself on being self sufficient and competent. Asking for help was contrary to her nature. This stubbornness of hers _ran deep_. During her academy time shed once gotten sick (possibly life threateningly so). Irrational, delirious and volatile she refused to admit anything was wrong. Repulsing any form of assistance Even from poor Toushirou. Even when the agony was so great she couldn't move.

The idea of asking for a healer, _a stranger_, someone who would shy from her eyes, was so repellent she would have lain there enduring that pain for months longer. Even if her absurd stubbornness cost her life.

Luckily Toushirou understood this as well as she did. Purchasing the medicine Toushirou hid it under her pillow. That her body wouldn't submit to her own will. That she _needed _something stung. It took all her willpower to throw aside that irrational stubbornness and take the damned medicine while Toushirou slept.

Kaishirou never said anything and neither had he when she recovered. She wished there was a way of expressing to him how grateful she was. For him understanding her, never reprimanding her or complaining when she was being so stupid and headstrong. But she knew it was _Toushirou_. He knew anyway.

Ukitake taichou offered to give advice if needed to the twins. The memory of the wide, unnecessarily happy grin. The vast mountain containing candy confections of every type made Kaishirou _wince_ just remembering. It decisively ruled him out.

He was one of the strongest, wisest and most experienced of taichous.

_He was also annoying._

He was everything Kaishirou was not minus the white hair. This was already painful as it is, Kaishirou didn't think she could take being forced to interact with him on top of it.

In a small (often phasing out of existence rational) corner of her mind she knew ukitake could be serious. That he would understand the burden of being a taichou. But this rational section remained deeply buried in the shifting quagmire of her subconscious.

And even if it had occurred to her the headstrong part had already locked it out as a possibility. It was a weakness she would get around to rectifying…someday.

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Captain Tousen was a person that Kaishirou felt a certain respect for.

Assigned to the 9th upon graduating she hadn't known what to expect. Tousen was far more than she could have hoped for. Never seemed to be troubled by her talents. Never putting her in situations where awkward social tendencies became evident. Tousen never _judged _her.

He couldn't see her. For a change Kaishirou's exotic features were inconsequential.

Hed never been hypnotised by her beauty. Never flinched from her eyes. She had been able to talk to him normally. This experience, one so _normal _and so _**rare**_ for her was she had treasured. He inspired in her an epiphany. Others _could_ grow to see her good qualities, given time and opportunity.

Kaishirou would probably never tell him this.

The few occasions while serving in the ninth she had ever asked for help, he provided it with simplicity and wisdom born from experience.

His ideals of fighting for a noble cause (unconsidered by her) went a long way. shaping Kaishirou's previously nonexistent morals at the time. She had disagreements. Particularly about fighting.

She knew he disapproved of her and Zaraki's "spars". Knew he didn't like either the results or the reasoning. Kaishirou believed fighting was _part _of human nature. The energy coursing through her blood in a fight was deadly real. Pretending it didn't exist was complacent, irrational and self deluding.

It was something one had to acknowledge at some one point.

That humans _did_ enjoy fighting.

That you _could _killgiven the right set if circumstances.

That you could _enjoy_ it.

Kaishirou believed a good clash on occasion was beneficial. Fighting and hardship kept ones skill sharp. Stopped you getting complacent. More than that it sharply reminded you of what was truly important. Life was so much more precious, when threatened.

Kaishirou become lethally dangerous in a fight. But she felt the rules in a fight were different.

Violence was compulsory. No matter who the opponent was or what type of person they were.

Kaishirou's violence while cold-blooded, was calculated and firmly set aside for the occasion. Her division, had startlingly little to fear from her. Despite the vast voids between her and Tousen's philosophies Kaishirou felt she would have been a poorer person without his guidance.

Like her he was a person of few words. But those words _mattered_.

He was highly capable and had years of experience running a division. If she ever needed a shortcut for experience now was it, and if there was ever a person she could ask for advice it was him.

She bit her tongue sharply, the sharp metallic taste of blood could be tasted but it cleared her mind. The knuckles finally moved towards the door with a purpose but a fraction before they hit Tousen's voice

"Please come in Kaishirou taichou" emanated from the other side.

Feeling more than slightly annoyed she entered.

Not being nearby shed lapsed, forgetting how _heightened_ his senses were. Tousen once demonstrated identifying every person in his division by rietsu _alone_. He once said that you could only properly appreciate your senses until you had lost one.

He encouraged her to practise zenjutsu forms and sparring blindfolded.

Kaishirou, sceptical at first found her forms and sensing abilities improving far beyond anything she imagined. Toushirou had been so impressed that they'd taken to sparring blindfolded many a time.

Tousen had undoubtedly sensed her rietsu entering the 9th division a quarter of an hour ago. Bastard had just let her wait outside getting all worked up. That annoyed her. What annoyed her more was that he could sense rietsu fluctuations enough to _know _she was annoyed. Blind he was but unperceptive he certainly wasn't.

Entering she observed that the office somehow felt smaller. Tousen looked shorter too, even though she was certain she hadn't grown a micron over the last month.

He sat at his desk.. Straight in posture but with an ease completely devoid in Kaishirou. Toushirou occasionally joked her stiffness would ultimately have her hobbling around like an old granny.

Tousen still wore that orange scarf. She felt a strange impulsive urge to ask why he wore it. Had becoming a taichou made that much of a difference?

"You could have just told me to walk in at the start" Kaishirou said with a little resentment."

She was young. Kaishirou figured she was entitled to a few childish emotions. At least before the duties of a taichou forced her to become an adult before her time.

"I could have, but then you might not have gathered the resolve to enter of your own violation. Its important to remember that even the strongest from time to time need help" he said calmly, unperturbed by her annoyance.

It was a lesson Kaishirou was still struggled with after all these years. It made it all the more humiliating for him to point it out.

"So why didn't you let me knock?"

She was sure there was a smile was lurking behind impassive features, struggling to get out. She supposed being teased gently was better than feeling uncomfortable.

But _only just_.

"To remind you of something even more basic, the early bird gets the worm"

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Tousen never did _any_ of this before. Perhaps he put all the new taichous who visited him through this routine.

"Congratulations on becoming taichou, I never had any doubts"

"Thank you" Seemed like an appropriate thing to say. But Kaishirou just nodded, she hadn't either. He didn't offer a chair knowing she preferred standing.

"How have you adjusted to your new rank?"

With unswerving precision he reached to the heart of the dilemma. Kaishirou felt an almost irresistible urge to say everything was fine and that shed just came here for a social visit, notwithstanding that she didn't do social visits. The vocal patterns formed in her head, her lips protruded to say the words.

She bit herself again…_hard_. This was just not turning into a good day for her tongue.

"Im still… adjusting" Kaishirou said stiffly.

She sighed before continuing. It never ceased to amaze her that no matter how graceful her sword mastery became the gracelessness of her conversational skills aspired to ever greater heights.

"Its worse than that …they're scared of me… terrified in fact. Everything I do seems to terrify them. Im not good… at talking, and nobody there seems to be able to talk to me at all"

There was a long pause.

"From where I'am now I just don't see how this is going to work"

One thing her division had in common with her it was they weren't big on conversation. Although being scared beyond reason was a factor. Kaishirou initially believed her division would grow accustomed to her presence over a few days.

However the fear seemed like mould. Difficult to get rid off and developing growths over time.

Kaishirou knew it was now heading to a point of no return. Soon nothing she said or did would make a difference. Which was the main reason she had bit down her pride (literally) and came to Tousen taichou. Kaishirou was grateful that he ignored her grating the words out.

"It is not unusual for there to be difficulties adjusting to a new taichou especially for a squad that has gone so long without. I believe you have much to offer to the 7th" He said it reasonably but she still felt an irrational surge of anger.

Did people shrieking and bursting into tears on sight count as "difficulties" Kaishirou also felt an irrational jealousy towards her twin. She loved Toushirou more than life itself, but the resentment of what came so easily to him was difficult to ignore.

That old squad commander must be getting senile if he put someone like her, with so many flaws in charge of a division. That being said with Kenpachi and Kurotsuchi as colleagues sanity clearly wasn't one of the job requirements.

"What use is that if they cant even look at me without flinching"

There was a slight pause. Tousen didn't seem bothered by her tone. Just as well because she didn't feel like apologising. He leaned forward slightly, trying to get across something across in his softly spoken words.

"Maybe they just need to learn to see you without their eyes" he said

Kaishirou's limited patience approached breaking limits at being offered useless cookie wisdom.

"That's.." she had been about to rudely blurt out "stupid". But with a flash of insight a memory burst through. A path suddenly illuminated in her head. It just might actually work.

"You remembered the first thing I taught you" It was finally visible, the smallest smile on his dark features.

Kaishirou cocked an eyebrow. Why was she even surprised at this point?

"You really are perceptive Tousen taichou"

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The next day division members not present in the real world received a message that they were to assemble in the 7th squad training area.

Order signed by Kaishirou taichou.

Their terrifying taichou taking a more direct interest in them was not comforting. But by the same token nobody thought missing it was a good idea either.

If Kaishirou had been feeling honest with herself (which she wasn't) she would have noted that part of her (the part matching blades with kenpachi) liked playing the role of petrifying taichou.

Had revelled in becoming the focal point of all that fear. In many ways it was flattering. Seeing the breath freeze in people walking nearby. Seeing hands tremble. Seeing their eyes widen as they beheld her lithe form. Enjoyed walking into the mess and sensing people shudder involuntarily, losing their appetite. Enjoying notoriety that only a handful of criminals achieved in the real world.

But (whether her conscious mind realised) the novelty had worn off. She felt stuck with a bunch of adults who had never matured past childhood fears.

She could have spoken to the Sou taichou, abdicating her rank. But a challenge once placed before was not to be ignored for long.

Even if she consciously ignored it the challenge simply retreated to some dark corridor of her subconscious. It gnawed away until it broke through her barriers demanding attention.

Even before speaking to Tousen her mind had been churning away at the problem. Kaishirou found new strategies popping up almost fully formed. Being a prodigy wasn't so bad sometimes.

The whole situation may be a mess but it was _her_ mess. This was her responsibility now. These people were hers to command, hers to protect.

A squads heart was its taichou and this one had a frozen heart.

_It was time to crack the ice. _

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Her zanpaktau had once taught her that _Bankai_ was what you had, when you had _nothing_.

Kaishirou stood in the courtyard facing a hundred of her division members. She stared at them, some stared back, most looked away and the remainder fidgeted.

Right now she had precisely _nothing_. Yet Kaishirou was out here anyway because that's what a taichou was supposed to do.

Staring at the sea of faces before her. It would have been impossible to tell who was more uncomfortable. Her appearance was impeccable, her skin seemed to glow with health. Even her sword handle had an extra sparkle to it. It did nothing to make her less fearsome for them.

Best to just say her piece and get it over and done with.

Finally she started speaking. It was unconscious…truly. But there was a always a depth layered in her voice, something _beneath_. Subtle but there. Her voice rang out clear across the air. Head turned, taken aback, almost mesmerised by the sound.

Kaishirou valiantly tried to make her speech sound genuine. However she couldn't prevent feeling vaguely ridiculous the whole time.

"I've been ignoring a problem in this division for long enough" There dramatic pause. A _planned_ dramatic pause.

"I'll say it straight out. You're afraid of me. Everything about me _terrifies_ you. You can barely stand to be near me, let alone trust me in battle." It was a weird thing about speeches. You said what everyone already knew but it always seemed like a shock to hear it.

There was a shiver. They were terrified to agree, terrified to disagree so Kaishirou saved them the trouble.

"This is not going to work as it is, for better or worse both you and I _**will**_ be working with each other" she betted the prospect was just as bad for them as it was for her.

"I'am not asking for blind trust." Well not _yet_ anyway.

"Trust is something that must be hard earned and grown over time. I'am your taichou and I will work to earn that trust." She'd practised hard to make that part sound noble and endearing.

"I _know _right now you're uncertain of me" Scared stiff more accurately.

"But you're my responsibility now. as long as you are I will protect you with my life if necessary. All I ask is you not to let blind fear control your actions" A ridiculous thought occurred to her. How would they have reacted if she had said "all I want is your_ blood_!"

Kaishirou had been very persuasive, very eloquent. She was relieved. It seemed like all those hours of practising in front of a mirror wasn't just a noxious exercise of vanity. They looked confused and uncertain. It was a level above terrified. She'd take it.

"For now we'll work on getting you to trust your own senses. Half of you please take a blindfold."

There was a bunch of uneasy glances. A few made motions to pick some up but hesitated when nobody else moved. She guessed putting a blindfold on with her around was an unappealing prospect.

She'd been prepared for this.

It was something of a gamble but if it worked would kill two birds with one stone. If it didn't then all that self-conscious practising in front of a mirror would be in vain.

For taichous it really was make it or break it.

Kaishirou looked around and spotted the person she was looking for. She picked up a blindfold and walked over to the nervous girl who had cried when running into her the other day. If Kaishirou could convince the most fearful person in her division to have a try, pride would then demand that the others follow. If Kaishirou got it right it would also be a safeguard from future tearful incidents.

That was _if_ the girl didn't start crying again.

She become rigid when Kaishirou approached, trembling noticeably. To her credit she met the sub zero teal gaze. They faced each other. Kaishirou's soft white fingers held out the blindfold to the girl. Her voice echoed softly, so softly to be heard only by the two of them.

"Don't let that fear control you…rise above it"

For an instant Kaishirou seemed old and emanated an understanding far beyond her years. The girl reached out to grasp the blindfold. Kaishirou gave the smallest of nods. With a flash of shaky determination in her eyes the girl fastened the cloth around her head. Her entire posture changed, suggesting a determination to try her best..

Kaishirou had to stop herself sighing in relief. That could have gone so much worse. She had a spark, now to coax out the flames.

"I want you to relax and focus on sensing my rietsu. Feel the coldness of it. Feel where its strongest. Imagine it as a glowing light in your mind."

Tousen had hit a nail on the head with sensory deprivation. While sensing rietsu with closed eyes visualisation came unasked. The colours swirling when your eyes closed took shape becoming brighter and clearer. When observing a rietsu, easily the brightest thing was a zanpaktau. With time and practise you could discern the chain link and soul sleep.

When Tousen come across Kaishirou, absorbed with practising in the training area he asked to demonstrate an exercise. A little perplexed but willing to give her taichou the benefit of the doubt Kaishirou agreed and was promptly handed a blindfold.

He asked her to relax and sense his rietsu. It hadn't taken long to identify the his sword as being the greatest concentration of power. From there he had asked her to imitate a few basic movements. Kaishirou was soon perfectly imitating his blades forms. She was amazed at how acute her senses had become from removing her sight for a short time.

She also hadn't failed to note that a bond had developed.

The bond between master and student was an ancient one and came naturally to human nature.

One generous with experience and wisdom giving knowledge, the other young, admiring, vigorous and eager to receive. Kaishirou was not going to develop spoken bonds anytime soon. Kaishirou would have to rely on the chemistry created by her actions.

Taking away the girls sight had double effect. Firstly it removed the sight which inspired such dread. However most critically it forced them to trust her, forced them to trust _themselves._ Already the previously nervous girl was concentrating hard on the task rather than her fear.

"Search for the coldest, brightest light, my sword"

It took the girl a while but she got there. It helped that Kaishirou was both taichou class and had a highly distinctive iciness to her rietsu. Compared to the other shinigami gathered here she knew her rietsu shone like the moon on a cloudless frozen sky.

"Good. Now I want you to copy the movements I make with my sword. I'll do them slowly at first. Keep relaxed, let the movements flow through you. Try to make the image of my sword as clear as possible, as if you were seeing it with your own eyes" Kaishirou forget a lot of her own annoyances. Becoming absorbed in the task despite herself. The master and student phenomenon ran both ways.

The girl was almost a different person. Determined and focused. Several members of the 7th looked impressed against their will. Slowly, Kaishirou ran through several basic forms taught in the shinigami academy.

The blindfolded shinigami, hesitant at first, gradually built up her movements in confidence and precision. She picked it up faster than Kaishirou expected. Completing four sets of movement accurately Kaishirou decided she could sense well enough for the exercise.

"Now go into a relaxed defensive stance. In a second Im going to try to hit you once" Immediately the girl tensed up.

Kaishirou started talking before she could descend into greater depths of fear. "just like you've been doing, sense my sword and block. You're capable. Trust your senses, trust yourself"

The air tensed. Every shinigami had their attention fixed on the pair. The girl swallowed but resolutely held fast.

Kaishirou's blade moved towards the girl.

Not anywhere near as swiftly or hard as it could but enough to draw attention.

_clang!!_

The swords met, reverberating against each other. The girl was breathing fast, relieved shed blocked it. Kaishirou removed her sword.

She felt a ridiculous feeling of pride, though whether it was in herself or the girl she didn't know.

"You did well for a first try at the exercise. Take off your blindfold and let someone else have a go"

The girl removed the cloth blinking owlishly as she came into contact with the sunlight. She stared at Kaishirou without avoiding her eyes. She had a curious look on her face. She looked as if she had something unspoken in her own eyes. Whether it was a thanks or apology or relief Kaishirou didn't know.

It was for another time anyway.

Kaishirou gave her an approving nod before turning to speak to the crowd at large.

"Being able to sense a blade without seeing it could well save your _life_. Now split off into pairs. Start off slowly sensing each others rietsu. Then try copying basic sword movements. When you're confident see if the blindfolded person can black a slow swing. Once they can do that switch over."

The assembled shinigami shouted in unison

"Hai taichou!"

They dividing up, setting about their task. Kaishirou had a flame.

Kaishirou walked amidst division members correcting and demonstrating when necessary. As Tousen predicted many people reacted better to sound than sight. Her voice was a soothing clarity putting them at ease a lot better than her eyes did. Her voice in fact was almost like a melody.

Once the pairs had completed the exercise a few times she had both partners put on blindfolds.

"Remember to make sure your partner can sense your movements clearly before you attempt any swings. Skills take time to acquire. Do your best but don't rush at it." She felt mildly hypocritical saying it with her prodigy status and hectically paced career. But even Kaishirou couldn't learn everything instantly. She still had to work hard and over a period of time.

The majority rapidly learned to sense their partners rietsu and successfully block. They all seemed to be making unexpected progress in sensing Kaishirou's own distinctive spirit pulse. When she walked nearby heads turned despite being blindfolded.

Even Kaishirou was surprised at the stellar progress. Perhaps she would recommend to Yammamoto that it become part of the curriculum at the academy.

She had ones who did exceptionally well switch partners so they could practise sensing other peoples rietsu. Kaishirou felt unreasonably pleased to see her demonstrating student as one of them.

Her division whatever other flaws they had were competent soldiers. There was a minimum of tripping up and injuries of any note. All in all she thought they had began to _see_ her in a new light and improved their skills along the way.

Kaishirou could now walk along corridors, nod at division member and receive a tentative one in return. No more freezing up and panicked bows. She was unsure if this was due to increased confidence or them being able to sense her rietsu a while way off and having time to prepare themselves.

Either way she supposed one had to start _**somewhere**_.

Thank you for reading


	3. Chapter 3

Note to reader: I don't know if any of you _care_ but this story was inspired by High Touch. I was captivated by the idea of a female Hitsugaya.

Kajou - translated means _spiral_

Another Japanese word for it is -_rasen_- ring any bells from naruto?

disclaimer: i do not own bleach

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**Chapter 3- Dinner and a Spar**

**1 month before Rukia's return order is issued**

Kaishirou had debated on whether to show one of her special techniques.

In the end she caved into the logic that there _maybe _a few could use it over time. In any event it put on a good show. Kaishirou firmly ruled out being an entertainer for a career. But her division was still in a transitional stage. Kaishirou had made a good start in showing she wasn't cannibalistic. But she needed to solidify her efforts.

This was as good a way as any.

The bright rays of the sun shone down on her division (and one Yamada Hanatorou) who were all lined up facing her.

Kaishirou wondered if that awkward feeling generated by large amounts of people watching ever went away.

She had a suspicion that it didn't.

"What Im going to show you today is an advanced technique. I don't expect you to be able to master it today or even for months afterward. I'll show it now and you can practise it in your spare time" She wondered how many would practise. Probably not a lot.

"Its a shunpo technique called _jinsoku kajou _(rapid spiral). Its difficult to master but I think you'll agree well worth the result"

One very courageous shinigami ventured to say. "Taichou, I've never heard of such a technique."

He really was brave. Shed have to note down his name and see how far that bravery went, at least some other time. Kaishirou gave a large approving nod. Her radiant hair moving with her

"Im glad you asked"

Feeding small doses of encouragement was still a necessity.

"The reason you haven't is because _I_ came up with it. Until now I've only ever taught one person to use it" Making it out as a great honour she felt couldn't hurt. Whether they still felt it was an honour an hour later was yet to be seen.

"Please look at the other side of the courtyard"

At the far end of the yard 300 ft away there were six white training dummies spaced out in a line with intervals of five feet between them. Whoever organised the storage room in the 7th had done an outstanding job. Every resource the division could ever need was plentifully supplied, neatly arranged, ordered _and dated_. Including a set of academy training dummies.

It made her job a lot easier.

Kaishirou would have to ask who did the job. Probably someone with a lot of time on their hands. She would ask one day…

"I'll give a demonstration of my technique. For now Im going to use ordinary shunpo to get there and cut off one dummies head and arms and then get back, please watch carefully"

They all gathered round to see better, watching her with anticipation. Kaishirou knew people had a soft spot for seeing a taichou in action. Whatever internal flaws she had, Kaishirou possessed skill of a taichou true and blue. She was not about to disappoint.

Her hand reached out and clasped the silver hilt of her sword.

She stayed completely still according to most of them.

One or two thought they might have seen parts of her form waver like a mirage for a fraction. But it could easily have been attributed to slight eye movements from themselves. She nevertheless remained where she was.

Her face softened a little. With more effort it might have evolved into a small smirk.

"You weren't watching closely enough" she said almost teasingly.

Kaishirou pointed at the mannequins. The one to the far left had no head or arms. There was a gasp of shock. Even when watching they hadn't been able to see her move, draw or sheath her sword. Looking closer she _was _positioned off from her starting point. But it was only _knowing_ that she had moved which made it noticeable.

The speed was incredible, _absolutely incredible_.

"Don't get excited, that was just normal shunpo. Im going to do one more so you can get a grasp of my limits. This time I'll cut one dummy, come back here, before leaving to slice the other one and returning"

She reached to grasp the hilt again.

Kaishirou tensed, for a split second she was abruptly, visibly gone. Then her she reappeared with not a hair out of place.

_A blink_ and you would have missed it.

Across the other side two more dummies were headless and armless.

Nobody had seen her actual form moving. Let alone drawing her sword. More wide eyes adorned the subordinates. There were whispers all around of admiration. If Kaishirou wasn't careful she was going to get big headed from all this.

Why **_did_** people practically worship someone who could do something _slightly_ better than themselves? She was sure it was instinctual. The whole Gotei Thirteen ran itself on a slavish devotion that approached worship of the taichous.

She wondered how Toushirou dealt with it.

Was this how other taichous worked? They showed off a few fancy tricks, their subordinates then convinced of their superiority fought and died in their name?

If it was how it worked she didn't like it.

"You could see me leave that time couldn't you, even though it was brief"

There were nods all around. Kaishirou made use of her limited theatrical skills. She had never been to a theatre or anything like it but even she understood the benefits of saving best for last.

"Now for the real demonstration. Im going to use _jinsoku kajou_ to step there and back for _all _the final three dummies."

In eager anticipation everyone forgot their nervousness and came closer. Determined to catch her with their eyes this time.

"Watch very closely" her voice whispered into the tense silence.

Some peered intently at her while others kept their eyes on the targets, some held their breath without realising it. Her face seemed to relax. The clear emeralds of her eyes almost dreamy. A sight to behold. Kaishirou's magnetism drew them in, entrancing them.

Her hand slowly went up to reach for her hilt once more.

Before it touched a loud crunch!! was heard. Several looked around trying to see what made the sound. Her hand dropped back down. Kaishirou released a large breath and took in another

"Shows over, observe the dummies if you would"

This time shock stifled any gasps of amazement. All three of the dummies were out of action. The limbs and heads efficiently severed.

That time there hadn't even been the most momentary blur or flicker. Every one of them would have sworn their taichou hadn't moved _at all_.

She supposed it was a bit of an anti climax. They hadn't really _seen _anything. Kaishirou moved slightly away from where she was standing. It revealed two indents formed in the shape of her feet, each an inch deep into the ground. They all seemed too excited to realise they were the victim of an anticlimax so Kaishirou didn't bother enlightening them.

"jinsoku kajou when fully mastered can massively increase your shunpo speed. However there are weaknesses." She pointed to the ground where the indents were.

"As you can see it leaves traces. That's not the problem. The problem is that it relies on having something to _push_ against. It wouldn't work in a sky battle, there's just not enough traction. You need solid ground" they absorbed the information intently.

Mistakenly thinking it was the _real _problem.

"Its also not the stealthiest technique. The rietsu release flattens it the ground you're standing on. That was the crunching sound you heard. You'd have a good shot at taking someone down but you'd also let them know you're coming"

"And the biggest drawback" _well the biggest drawback apart from actually learning it._

"It sucks up rietsu three or four times faster then normal shunpo. Even just now I needed an extra breath. If used as a last resort incorrectly it could well drain you're rietsu leaving you defenceless. long continual bursts are not a good idea. I would recommend at least a minute before bursts and keeping those bursts as short as possible" All of them listened to her enraptured.

Maybe this taichou lark wasn't such a terrible thing after all.

They were all almost unbearably eager to learn. _They were so cute_.

She felt it was time to explain how the technique actually worked.

"How many of you guessed that jinsoku kajou works by focusing rietsu to your feet?"

Three quarters of them put their hands up. Last week she would have been lucky to get one. It was progress.

"Well you're absolutely right. You need to focus rietsu at your feet. But if it was that easy I wouldn't have bothered showing you. It requires a very precise amount specific to the person. Too little and it doesn't boost your speed, too much and you will spiral (quite literally) out of control."

She didn't feel like playing another guessing game so she simply told them

"The amount needed is _just under _what you need to hover in the sky. Your foot must be about hover but it mustn't actually leave the ground. Otherwise you wont have anything to push against it. Focusing the right amount is step one, so have a go"

It took longer than expected.

Eventually they could focus the correct amount to their feet. Obviously whatever previous training they had didn't cover condensing rietsu to certain body parts for added effect.

It wasn't about to get any easier.

"Step two is releasing the rietsu from your _left_ foot. Its tricky because it has to be done in three distinct places" There were confused looks all around. Kaishirou hastened to explain.

"You first have to release it first from the tip. Then the middle, then the back. The amounts released have to be equal to each other. It must be done _fast_ but in _distinct_ parts.

"Its extremely easy to use too much for the tip and middle of your foot and then not enough for the back. Or perhaps releasing rietsu from the tip and middle of the foot simultaneously. And most importantly has to be done _hard_ enough to leave an inch indent in the ground, no more no less" Telling them what could go wrong was imperative. Kaishirou always felt that if you were going to be in pain it was best to understand _why_.

They all vigorously started getting ready to practise.

"Hold it right there!"

They all froze at the sharp tone, some looked fearful.

Crap! She had almost undone all her hard work over the last week! Remember, _**remember!**__**! **_Be approachable, don't drive them back into their shells.

Kaishirou softened her face. She didn't try smiling. Partly because she really didn't feel like it and partly because the shock would alarm them even more.

"Your enthusiasm is commendable especially considering the difficulty, but step two doesn't work unless its performed in concert with step three" Her tone had thankfully soothed them. Like a jumpy horse. Gods above this _**had not**_ been in the job description.

"Step three is similar to step two. Its your _right_ foot this time. It's the same places as the left but a different order. You start at the back and work your way to the tip."

Their eyes widened. They could guess what was coming next.

"To use jinsoku kajou you time the releases of rietsu precisely. The tip of your left matches the back of your right, the middle of your left with the middle of your right, and finally the back of you're left matching the tip of your right. All releases _must _be fast, equal and _**perfectly**_ synched"

Kaishirou felt it fair to at least warn them. "If you get it wrong you _**spin**_" what a_ siniste_r word.

Some of them looked like the difficulty of the technique had finally dawned on them.

"If you get it right the technique will spin you round _only once_ and then you can move easily and with incredible speed. If you get it wrong you'll end spinning around… _**a lot**_"

Kaishirou vividly remembered training to master it. Remembered learning the hard way to train with an empty stomach. Naming the technique _kajou _(spiral) had been very apt. They were all giving her the look asking if it was possible.

"Its possible" Kaishirou assured them. "Its not easy. Like I said at the start I don't expect any of you to master it for months. But its worth putting in the effort"

There was a long silence

"_Now_ you can practise"

They all split off. Some were apprehensive, some determined, some scared and some excited.

As Kaishirou had predicted they had great difficulty learning the technique. Kaishirou went round individually and made sure they all knew what they were _supposed_ to be doing. Even if they could have done the technique perfectly on the _first try _it would have taken still taken further training to ensure they could multitask and use it effectively in battle. They didn't have any idea exactly how far they had to go.

Kaishirou watched them get it wrong try after try.

The smallest errors in rietsu control and timing could result in a disastrous version of the technique. And a lot _could_ go wrong. She had seen (and felt) them all and none of it was pretty.

She saw them propelling themselves high up into the air like jack-in-a-boxes. Saw them create massive indents in the ground up to six inches deep. Saw them drain their rietsu and collapse in a faint. Saw them misjudge the timing and spin around in an uncontrollable blur well over twenty times before their momentum slowed. Leaving a dizzy shinigami staggering around and falling flat on their faces. Some unfortunate members ended up chucking out the contents of their breakfast.

_Maybe she should have told them not to eat beforehand…oh well._

It was chaos in short order. Kaishirou had to resist the urge to giggle. It looked like the whole division had gone crackers and were playing a child's spin around in circles game.

Kaishirou anticipated injuries and trouble which was why she had commandeered Hanatorou. Or rather Kaishirou had asked him and in a state of petrifaction he hadn't dared to refuse.

He seemed to forget his fear as he struggled to look after the mounting casualties. All done without complaint and an indomitable determination despite the unfair workload. Kaishirou was impressed, she might start feeling guilty if Hanatorou worked any harder.

Two hours of limited progress and unlimited disasters later Kaishirou decided her division had suffered enough. Whatever injuries they may have suffered they all knew the fundamentals of the technique. Enough to practise on their own. She attempted to cheer them up. Kaishirou knew just how hard it was after all, and how much harder it must be for them without the benefits of being a child genius.

"Don't be disheartened. It's a very difficult and draining technique. It requires months of steady practise"

She dismissed them. Some were pale faced and others sporting cuts and bruises. They walked, shuffled, limped and hobbled their way out of the training area.

They all looked considerably less enthusiastic than when Kaishirou had demonstrated the perfected technique.

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Walking to her office Kaishirou couldn't help feeling good. Her division was finally turning round a new corner.

If she was honest it felt good to put them under some indirect torture after all the trouble they had caused her. Trouble that could have been avoided if they hadn't judged her without knowing her.

Pushing the door open some instinct instantly told her something was off. It only took a few seconds to work out what.

"Hadou 1, byakurai!"

A flash of crackling energy leaped from her left hands fore finger and hit something standing next to her desk. There was a crack and pieces of ice shattering and scattering.

The gravity defying white hair and frosty teal eyes of her brother came into view.

"Its nice to see you too Kai!, that's some way of greeting me" Toushirou's voice youthful and yet to break greeted her. Feigning hurt at her treatment.

Kaishirou could summon no trace of remorse.

"And hiding around like a ghost waiting to scare me is any better?" They both grinned. With Toushirou around smiles always seemed to come more easily to Kaishirou.

His _ice mirror_ _(koori mira)_ technique was one came up with in the academy. A response to a teacher condescendingly saying only a _genius_ could make their own technique.

It worked by infusing rietsu into water and creating a sphere around yourself. An icy rietsu could then freeze that sphere and manipulate the ice shards to mirror the outside. Effectively you become a chameleon. The sphere contained the users rietsu making it near impossible for someone else to sense.

In theory at least it was a perfect stealth technique. In reality a single flaw was enough to render it useless. The twins had steadily refined its capabilities but it was still not ready for any sort of practical use. Although as Toushirou demonstrated it was not for lack of trying.

"How did you figure out I was there that time? Im sure I got the technique down _perfectly_" Toushirou had echoed these same words dozens of times. Each occasion some infinitesimal factor upset the _perfect _technique.

Kaishirou's smile widened, her face a glowing, her eyes an enthralling beauty that could send hearts into cardiac arrest.

"I could smell _candies"_

She was no slacker in the sensory department. Toushirou gave a groan of exasperation.

"Goddamn _him_, being a member of the Shiro-chan club is more than a little trying." Kaishirou could summon no trace of sympathy.

"When are you going to tell him that you only like watermelon candies?"

Toushirou glared at her, it made his face even cuter.

"Im not heartless like you Kai, I couldn't bring myself to upset such a happy face"

"So instead you're going to allow yourself to be buried alive under mountain of candies?" she said dispassionately.

He continued sulking, knowing she had him on this topic.

"Im a nice guy" another rare smirk from graced Kaishirou.

"I'll carve that on your tombstone" she teased.

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Of the two Toushirou was the more light hearted and irreverent. The one was more inclined to smile.

With natural charm, charisma and a winning smile hed never had a problem getting on with anyone. He had gone through the same difficulties of being a prodigy as Kaishirou. People being jealous, distrustful or belittling his ability. Unlike Kaishirou he never really let it bother him.

Ignoring those who hated him and always being amenable to those who didn't. Toushirou had quickly became popular in the Seirieti. In the rukongai some people had thought his appearance was _unnatural_ and shunned him. With typical untouchable nonchalance he'd ignored them.

Here Toushirou's striking looks had drawn a whole host of female admirers.

His looks put people at ease and fascinated them. Kaishirou's looks were undeniably exquisite, but only enhanced her allure of deadliness, which in turn repelled people away.

He had gained the respect from many taichous before even taking the exam. Aizen, Unouhana, Kyorak, Ukitake, Tousen and Yammamoto to name a few. Within the first week he formed a unique bond with his lieutenant. Toushirou also got well with other vice captains like Hisagi, Kira, Renji, Nanao and of course Hinamori.

Industrious, indubitably talented and with a very large rietsu backing him he had learnt the shinigami arts and could use them to a highly proficient degree. Everyone admired his spirit and many felt he was a breath of fresh air in the court of pure souls. He promised to be a spectacular taichou.

Practically _everyone_ liked him.

Kaishirou felt she had equivalent talent in just about everything but she knew Toushirou had a _wisdom_ far beyond his age that she didn't possess.

He was the feisty one. All through childhood he dragged her out on adventures. Travelling all over the rukongai, not satisfied by a quiet existence in a small corner of the wider world.

He was the light which gave form to Kaishirou's darkness. A luminous spirit Kaishirou couldn't help but be drawn to. Toushirou was infinitely patient with Kaishirou.

Impervious to her coldness and deadliness.

So many characteristics and fascinating facets about Kaishirou might have been lost without Toushirou to gently coax it out from her.

Growing up the twins were inseparable. Always at ease in each others company, often having no need to speak. Toushirou was the person Kaishirou was closest too, who knew all her secrets. She loved him with a fierce adoration above anything and anyone else.

He made even dreary things exciting. His companionship had made life come _alive_. They may have fought and had innumerable disagreements but Toushirou was_ home_ to her. No matter what obstacles she would face in life she knew he would be there for her and she likewise for him.

When younger she might have believed that she didn't need anyone. But growing up with Toushirou she had come to _realise _how rare the bond they had was. How grateful she was that hed understood her. That she had never been _alone_. The gratitude she felt for that was incalculable, and as was her nature she would never tell him something so sappy directly.

But it was _Toushirou_, he already knew so it all worked out.

Even if there had been some distance between them since becoming taichous the bond endured unwaveringly. A powerful radiant thread invisible to the eye but tightly binding the two lives together.

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He relaxed into her chair. Putting his feet up on the desk. If Kaishirou was someone else she might have cared. He sounded introspective

"You know im a bit jealous. All the trouble I went through to get you to teach me jinsoku kajou and now your division gets the honour for free"

Kaishirou doubted anyone in the division considered it an _honour_ after today. But he was most certainly correct about difficulty he had endured.

The twins were downright competitive when it came to just about anything. All through their childhood they had competed over trifling things with life and death seriousness. The number of times they'd fought when younger were countless. Kaishirou was no girly girl.

This had only gotten worse as they got older and became shinigami. It was their competitiveness more than any other factor which drove Kaishirou to become a taichou. Toushirou could _**not **_be a taichou while she wasn't.

Her twins frozen dragon graced Toushirou with an almost _limitless_ rietsu. Kaishirou had needed every advantage she could to keep up with him. Knowing her physical strength would hit limits Kaishirou trained unremittingly in swordsmanship, kido and shunpo.

After _painstaking _experimentation to make it viable Jinsoku kajou had given her the edge she needed in their spars. It had been an invaluable ace up her sleeve and Toushirou had suffered numerous humiliating defeats.

She hadn't felt like levelling the playing field anytime soon either.

It had taken months of sustained efforts and Copious amounts of bargaining, begging, bribery, emotional blackmail, outright blackmail and love to grudgingly convince Kaishirou to teach him jinsoku kajou.

Unlike her division members where teaching them the technique was almost irrelevant, she had _known _Toushirou would be able to master and use it effectively. Which was why she had been so reluctant in his case. After a few months it would likely boost some subordinates speed. But they would never more than double it, never unlock the full potential, never be able to use it in battle with the fluid certainty Kaishirou had.

In return she had gotten Toushirou to teach her his ice mirror technique. She had forced him to promise with blood that he would teach her the next two interesting techniques he came up. As well as promising three major "I owe you ones" _whenever_ she felt like calling them in.

She had still felt short changed and was still working to once again level the playing field. Toushirou while not up to her level could master it enough to neutralise most of its edge.

"They were so cute, I couldn't resist" she muttered dryly.

Knowing it was a bit of a sore topic for her Toushirou changed it

"Want to get some food at Besrils?"

Eating out in fresh air of the rukongai with a possibility of sparring, or doing paperwork. No decision whatsoever.

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Besril was a jovial pudgy man with an infectious humour and a heart of gold.

His small food stand in the fourth district of the rukongai attracted many of the dwellers and off duty shinigami. Toushirou and Kaishirou had stopped off there randomly in between one of their journeys around the rukongai because they'd been hungry.

Apart from the food (undeniably good food) The place had a compelling air which drew them back time after time. Besril had a warmth that welcomed all. Going there you couldn't help but enjoy the comfortable atmosphere.

He had an especially soft spot for the white haired, teal eyed twins who regularly visited over the years.

It helped that at first they were a novelty for other customers. Unlike people in their own district they were curious rather than fearful of the white haired youths. Many turned up and bought a meal just to take a look at the mysterious twins.

One very small boy was hypnotised by Kaishirou. Gazing with wonder at her, his food getting cold. Kaishirou annoyed at the constant staring had eventually came up and asked what he was staring at. The small child had simply pointed to her hair.

Since he hadn't been afraid of her Kaishirou allowed him run his small hand through her silken white tresses. He smiled in awe at how soft and gorgeous it was to touch.

Toushirou had grinned. An icy Kaishirou was being so accommodating. She glared death at him, daring him to start something. Besril delighted with the engaging spectacle offered a free meal for the twins.

Besril could magically conjure up all sorts of food from nowhere. Including the watermelons which Toushirou so coveted. Besril impressed Kaishirou's twin right off when Toushirou jokingly asked if he had watermelon. The man with a dramatic flourish produced one for a stunned Toushirou.

Over the years, usually at Toushirou's insistence they stopped off for a meal at his stand.

He welcomed them like family beaming delightedly.

He ruffled her brothers spiky hair. Thoughtfully he refrained doing the same to Kaishirou knowing her dislike for being touched without permission. Offering her a smile instead.

He Urged them to sit down, order up and tell him all about all their adventures.

Besril was a rare person. Understanding that Kaishirou couldn't help her appearance or her cold nature. He usually talked enough for both of them. In regards to her features had simply said with a wink

"You'll grow into some beauty one day"

Kaishirou not really caring for her appearance was simply glad at the time he wasn't bothered by her eyes.

The _only_ reasons her hair wasn't a lot shorter was because Kaishirou couldn't be bothered to cut it, along with Toushirou's horrified face when she mentioned hacking a whole chunk off.

She ordered a spicy soup. Toushirou begged for a large bowl of natto and whatever watermelon Besril could get hold off. With a lack of restraint incredibly rare for her Kaishirou told Besril about becoming a taichou.

Narrating some of the problems with her frightened division, along with an anecdote of how she dealt with it (minus where she asked for help).

Kaishirou also didn't mention her spars with Zaraki. It was just something that she didn't think Besril would understand. She didn't want someone like him worrying when he couldn't do anything.

Toushirou had been sceptical of her fighting Kenpachi regularly. When visiting an Injured Kaishirou in the 4th division Toushirou quickly deduced that she wasn't being forced into anything. She could take care of herself. He realised his chances of changing her mind once she got set in a certain mind frame were slim to non-existent.

Besril listened intently to her story with a sparkle in his eye denoting true interest. He laughed when she described her subordinates and remarked

"How could they possibly be scared of something so _cute_?"

Kaishirou wasn't sure if she would have preferred them to be like Besril on a constant basis. He shared a mischievous smirk with Toushirou. With an internal groan she could guess what was coming.

"Im sure you were magnificent little Kai, but you know, all you had to do was…"

Besril and Toushirou joining in a nauseating chorus bellowed

"_**Smile!!!! **__The world could spin on a few of your __**smiles!!!"**_

It had developed over several visits. Besril commentated on how much more beautiful she was when she smiled, Toushirou ardently agreeing with him. They'd ganged up on her. Combining some truly dreadful singing, awful catchphrases and a complete lack of rhythm.

It was sappy and never failed to annoy her or draw inquisitive glances from people.

They were the only two who could get away with it alive and the only two people who actually did it. She grabbed a water melon slice and threw it at Toushirou. Who was still laughing uproariously with a chortling Besril.

Even so it was _Besril_, he seemed generally incapable of real malice. Even Kaishirou couldn't stay mad at him for long. He gave her a few extra natto's as a peace gift (most of which Toushirou ate) and all was well again.

Perhaps it was because he had known them as a child that Kaishirou felt a fondness for him she didn't feel for people with similar traits. Like Ukitake.

Sitting next to Toushirou at the stand. Besril chattering away about some weird shinigami who had an afro and eating food she wasn't particularly hungry for. It was about as close to home as Kaishirou could get.

At least now that granny _was_…she bit into a natto dragging her mind away from unhappy recollections.

Watching Toushirou eat enough for two of them was entertaining enough.

He attacked the stack of watermelons with indomitable enthusiasm and a truly alarming speed of consumption. Kaishirou minus her loathing for candy had only one other interesting trait when it came to food.

That from time to time she ate.

Toushirou had wondered how her rietsu could possibly be sustained by such an irregular diet.

She countered that his voracious appetite hadn't done him _squat_ for his height.

Toushirou even after years was still a little insecure about it. In a miniaturised tantrum Toushirou had said hotly that he was still _young _and that when he did grow up he would be _way _taller than her anyway.

In their childhood he on average ate all his food (with seconds) and probably at least half of hers. Besril never seemed perturbed by her lack of eating. Likely due to Toushirou finishing anything she didn't want. Waste not want not.

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Besril after hearing some of Matsumoto's antics went to serve another customer. Toushirou finished a slice of watermelon and let out a satisfied burp.

Then he looked at her.

Uncharacteristically solemn, his eyes weighed down by something. Very unusual, especially considering they were in this place. It wasn't as if he grinned all the time like a donkey. But Toushirou was rarely _serious_.

Whenever he had that tone and face Kaishirou knew to take him seriously. Finally he spoke.

"Kai, did you ever think that there could be a level _beyond_ bankai?"

The murmur of customers and rukongai dwellers in the background were all that could be heard.

A level _beyond _Bankai?

Honestly Kaishirou never had considered it.

Her zanpaktau, enigmatic and complex still had gave her headaches interpreting its moods and personality. Despite obtaining bankai she was under no illusions that she had _mastered_ it.

It usually took a decade to unveil its full power. Kaishirou trained with a typical steely determination knowing she _could_ master it in less time. It was still not something took lightly, even by her.

And here Toushirou was talking about a level _beyond_ bankai.

Toushirou was smarter then she was and like her hed researched everything he could about the most coveted word in soul society. They both knew that in the history of the shinigami bankai was the ultimate level.

It could be made more deadly with time and training as Yammamoto had demonstrated but no zanpaktau had a level beyond it. Or if it did was keeping it to itself.

Just what was going on?

"You think there is Toushirou?"

"Its just a bit odd that shinigami can master their bankai and then that's it, nothing beyond it. A bit boring really" he bit into a watermelon slice before continuing.

"We know that the vasto lordes in Hueco Mundo supposedly have abilities greater than a taichou, maybe they're onto something"

Kaishirou felt a smile tug at her lips.

"You going to go over there and ask them over a cup of tea?"

"No way, Im sure hollows hate tea. I'd steal matsumoto's sake, with the exception of you everyone likes sake"

They'd both laughed and the serious moment passed.

Kaishirou all but forgot about it. Not knowing that one day the questions raised would torment her never endingly.

Not knowing what Toushirou had been trying to _tell her_.

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After paying for the meal things tensed up.

The twins regularly sparred with one another throughout the academy and beyond. Using each other as the ultimate obstacles to improve their skills.

Even in different squads they had met up at least a couple of times a week for a spar.

Since becoming taichou's Kaishirou had been engrossed with the frustrations of dealing with her subordinates. Something she refused to let Toushirou interfere with since he was part of that problem. Sparring had been put on hold.

In the past whenever they came to Besril's stand they nearly always made use of their favorite training ground. Which conveniently was nearby.

_**Dinner and a spar**_

Right now it seemed as though Toushirou was itching for the other to suggest it. Something she was more than willing to do.

"Toushirou, care for a spar?"

It was not a question as such. Ice cold emeralds locked with one another.

Toushirou's eyes sparkled with a fierce anticipation.

"Last one there's a hollow with a heartache!"

A hiss of displaced air and he was gone. Toushirou could come up with some truly _**awful**_ catch phrases.

He may have had a head start but he was _**not **_getting there first. Especially with such a terrible catchphrase beforehand.

With the distinctive crunch! of her technique Kaishirou vanished as well. All that remained were two footprints crushed exactly an inch into the ground.

Besril laughed at the two's antics, his substantial belly to wobbling. Their visits were just as interesting now as it had been all those years back.

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The fourth district had a large forest. Deep within was a clearing surrounding a picturesque waterfall and river.

They had discovered it on one of their travels to other rukongai districts. Both of them found the thunderous reverberations of the waterfall and the serenity of the river comforting.

It was an idyllic place.

Somewhere time seemed suspended and the outside world was merely a far away phantom of the imagination.

It was beautiful and had more than enough space for the twins sparring. The river had plenty of water to fuel their ice techniques. It was their favorite haunt for sparring and training while growing up.

As they had grown They had steadily limited their techniques destructiveness not wanting to damage the place irreparably.

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Kaishirou stood victoriously at the apex of the waterfall.

_Well_… hands on knees drawing in air greedily, but victorious nonetheless.

They were both out of breath. But Kaishirou with a rapid string of jinsoku kajou had pulled ahead, although she was paying the price now.

Toushirou had beads of sweat on his face, the twins drew out insane amounts of energy deep within to fuel their competitions. Once it got going there was no stopping it.

Since Kaishirou had won the race she got to pick the limits of the spar. Once she could breath without wheezing she chucked a blindfold at Toushirou.

"Blindfolds, no signature techniques and only up to shikai"

Since she had been making use of a blindfold earlier this week she might as well use it to her advantage. Bankai would have given a better chance at winning, but she didn't have much faith in her or Toushirou's complete release not destroying the haven.

Toushirou neatly caught the blindfold and drew it tightly around his eyes, dark cloth flattening a swathe of his white hair. Kaishirou tied her hair back before fastening on the cloth.

Neither bothered hiding their rietsu. Having spent years in close proximity sensing each others cold spirit pressure was as natural as breathing. Even restraining it as much as possible would have made no difference.

They'd practised with blindfolds to the point where by sensing rietsu they could create an accurate minds image of the other complete to dainty fingers. Toushirou's small body with overflowing rietsu was almost too easy to pinpoint.

Kaishirou forced herself to relax. It was tough but she could beat him if she was cagey.

Toushirou was Kaishirou's _**most**_ challenging rival. His immense rietsu on par with Zaraki, his skills the analogue of her own.

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All that could be heard was flowing of water and the resulting of trees.

In a flash of lithe movement Toushirou went into action. One second he was at the other end of the clearing. Next he was directly in front of her.

KaiShirou in blinding speed used shunpo to dodge and get round his back.

Toushirou's reflexes kicked, Hyourinmara covered his back countering the blow effortlessly.

The blades clashed in intricate movements. Only a master could keep hope up with it.

Kaishirou propelled a hard kick towards his face. It practically brushed him but toushirou twisted out of the way. He crouched and lashed out with his foot in a single smooth movement.

Equally sinuous, Kaishirou somersaulted over landing several feet away, her sword raised prepared.

The blades curved, clashed and disengaged in a graceful dance of movement. It would have hypnotised anyone watching the display.

Kaishirou's nimble form danced superbly in the deadly duel. Her Zanpaktau avoiding long grinding clashes but agilely flowing to the sides of Hyourinmara, seeking with cunning swiftness to disrupt its momentum and move into close quarters where its length could be used against it.

Both fighters fought with great ingenuity and skill. Unlike fighting Kenpachi neither twin could afford to take _any_ glancing hits.

One of the first properties of ice based swords they slowed down opponents and restricted movement. At taichou level even a _slight_ cut could leave a slowly debilitating numbness which would bite into even the greatest of speeds and paralyse the sturdiest of limbs.

The fight turned into a contest of speed. Kaishirou strained to land a slight cut that turn the equilibrium in her favour.

Flashing all over the glade they seeked to outmanoeuvre the other.

The blades locked with a clash so strong sparks flew and shards of ice split off in all directions, whizzing like tiny bullets.

The zanpaktau parted in an instant before clashing again somewhere else. Over the river, near the trees, at the base of the waterfall, at the top of the waterfall, in midair.

The clashes so instantaneous an outsider would have simply seen an perplexing series flashes as the swords hit. Incredible speed they possessed but it was too evenly matched. Neither could overcome the other. By unspoken agreement they returned to next to the river, to decide the victor in a battle of blade mastery.

Despite the blindfolds their senses were deadly sharp. Each could discern the other zanpaktau's movements as easily as if it had been seen with their eyes. Their movements showed no indecision.

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Toushirou stepped up his strikes, his long blade making fluid sweeping movements. Testing her reactions and making full use of the greater reach.

Kaishirou's shorter blade expertly deflected them in swift short arcs, making no wasted movements. At the same time not allowing herself to be driven back. Hyourinmara in a blur of liquid steel wove a web of death around her but she resolutely kept pace.

Then he moved into her space launching a deadly two handed blow at her torso, rietsu massing across the perilous blade. Kaishirou could see the considerable rietsu shining along its edge.

_Good, _hed committed to the attack.

she'd been waiting for this.

Kaishirou hurried to converge enough rietsu to her right arm, the arm she was going to block with.

The blade crashed into hers, slicing at a subatomic level to cut through. Her right arm protested sharply at the strain but _held_, leaving her left hand _free_ and aimed at his solar plexus.

Alarm radiated from Toushirou.

Her kido mastery had to kick in here or else. She screamed in her mind as hard as she could _Byakurai!!!_.

Talking would have taken too long.

Countless hours of kido practising converged into a few split seconds.

Crackling blue light shot from all five of her fingers.

There was screech of cracking ice and the hiss of singed clothes. Kaishirou felt a wave of cold ice explode in front of her, threatening to encase her. Lithely she back flipped out of the way, long white hair flowing gracefully with her.

It hadn't worked.

_Shit!_

Somehow Toushirou had avoided the brunt of her attack.

If she had been without a blindfold she would have seen while his clothes were singed he had suffered little damage to his flesh. As usual Toushirou's lightning swift reflexes saved him.

Kaishirou had planned well. He couldn't have moved out the way in time. Instead he converted the rietsu in his blade to an ice attack. The rapidly grown ice had deflected most of the lightning and forced Kaishirou to retreat.

It had been close though, _very close_.

Skipping the incantations took away the heart of a Hadou's destructive force. Skipping the name stripped away even more. For Kaishirou's to get such power from a mental call alone was nothing short of incredible. If it had hit it would have probably knocked him out of the fight completely.

And because it had failed, she would probably lose.

Toushirou stabbed his hand in Kaishirou's direction.

"_Hadou 33, Sokatsui!!_"

He spared no expense with the rietsu.

The mass of bright blue light thundered towards her, blistering rocks along the way. If she hadn't been wearing a blindfold the light would have blinded her. Proficiently using shunpo she sped towards the edges of the blast. Leaping towards safety.

Unfortunately she sensed Toushirou's gathering rietsu. He hadn't meant to hit her, just needed her out of the way.

He was suspended at the base of the waterfall.

She recognised the rietsu patterns her brother was emanating. The swirling motions with his sword.

Toushirou's rietsu only _**coiled **_up like that for _**one**_ reason.

With desperately paced shunpo she strained to reach him before he could release it.

His clear voice cried out over the thundering waterfall

"_Sit upon the frosted heavens, **Hyourinmara!!!**_"

The rapidly escalating power fleetingly stopped her sensing him. His rietsu wasn't in one place it was suddenly _everywhere_. It took another few vital seconds for her senses recover. Toushirou's rietsu had already compressed into the deathly cold serpent of ice.

Hyourinmara was _**terrifying **_in its shikai release.

Even blindfolded its malevolent rietsu formed an image crystal clear. Hyourinmraras shikai was both massive and self sustaining. Once the dragon was created it was virtually a separate entity. The scariest thing about it was that the rietsu _**increased**_ over time rather than lessoning.

As Toushirou had once said dragons never really stopped growing either in size or cunning.

She could _see_ the dragons eyes already fixated on her, a deadly attention that promised cold death. It seemed more like a nightmarish demon from hell frozen over rather than an extension of Toushirou's soul.

When the monstrous dragon came at you it didn't push you. It threatened to _**bury**_ you under a colossal avalanche of cold power. A ruthlessness even Kaishirou couldn't compare to.

She knew better than to face it head on without her shikai. She could put every ounce of rietsu she had into the collision and still come off worse. Even small bits of water landing on her could sap her rietsu and restrict her movements. Even if it didn't overwhelm her it left her wide open to other attacks.

For Kaishirou to fight on an even level with _that _she needed to release her shikai. But Kaishirou didn't have that long. She would be buried under ice long before she could release it.

Hyourinmraras shikai did have weaknesses.

As far as she knew the dragon still required direction from Toushirou. While directing the dragon he could only make certain movements and he had to stay relatively still. He was at the centre of a vast source of water, he would most likely remain there.

It took _time _for the dragon to attack. Hyourinmara was fast but even so she should be faster.

The limit of Toushirou's attacks was _two_.

If she could use her speed to reach him in the gap between attacks she had a chance. It was a slim chance but she was intuitive and savvy enough to pull it off.

Hyourinmara with an unearthly screech coiled towards her, a vast shadow of sinuous ice.

Underneath her blindfold her eyes widened.

Hed improved the technique since she last saw it.

_A lot_.

Goddamn that thing was _fast_!

"Come on rietsu, don't let me down now" she muttered. Her own equally frosty rietsu surged into the sword. It gleamed silver with power. The monsters maw of glittering icicles opened.

With split second timing she spiralled out the way and cut massive slash down the side of the dragon. Unable to stop its momentum it went crashing down to the floor, huge segments of ice unravelling as it fell apart.

_One attack down_

Toushirou was still a good distance away at the waterfall. With a hard shove she pushed off and raced along the water towards him.

Toushirou had evidently improved the speed in creating the monsters. With her senses she saw another _even larger _coil of rietsu assembling. This time it took vast quantities of water from the crashing torrent behind to fuel its creation.

It seemed as though the waterfall came alive in a malevolent glittering spectacle.

A moment later it was complete. With another cry the 4 ft 5 prodigy brought his sword down in a sharp downward chop. The immense serpent leaped to its masters bidding and surged towards KaiShirou almost as fast as she could.

In her minds eye the sparkling energy was something of great magnificence but she knew just how fatal that beauty was.

With quick hands she sheathed her sword.

She would need both arms to pull off this next trick. Focusing rietsu into her arms she prepared for a formidable kido spell.

The second monstrosity of ice surged glided ever closer practically hovering over the river as it came. The wind it generated in passing sending water crashing out of the river.

If she could defeat this one there _would_ be a gap before the next attack. She had to be fast, shed already used up too much rietsu, she wouldn't get another shot at this.

The dragon was eating the distance between them at a ferocious pace, something made even quicker by her running _towards _it. Seconds before it could engulf her KaiShirou shot out her left hand

"_Hadou 33, Sokatsui!!_"

The light burst from her palm in a thunder of energy impacting into the Fearsome juggernaut of ice. The spell didn't destroy it but scorched and distorted its head. Confused it momentarily lost its fluid purpose for an instant and that was all Kaishirou needed to maneuver past it

_Two down!_

She had a gap before the next attack. She intended to make use of it.

She sped along the water of the river using rietsu to stop her sinking. Toushirou stood at the base off the water fall. A few more flash steps and Toushirou was finished. She brought out her right hand

"_Hadou 11, Tsuzuri Raiden!!_"

Vast amounts of electricity gathered in her palm. She drove it into the river, using the water as a giant conductor. She couldn't see Toushirou but she could bet he was alarmed.

The river was now a lethal crossfire of energy bolts. Kaishirou hoped there were no fish around. It could hit either of them but someone standing still rather than moving fast was a more likely to get shocked.

She just needed it to distract him for another second.

Sure enough several bolts of electricity glanced him, scorching soft white skin.

Narrowly dodging arcs of her own energy she flashed towards him at blurring speed.

She was metres away from him.

Agile fingers drew her zanpaktau.

_**She had him!**_

And then with both hands Toushirou swung Hyourinmara _**up**_. The coil of rietsu wasn't fully formed, it didn't need to be.

The whole section of river Kaishirou hovered over erupted. Tons and tons of swiftly cooling water erupted in a devastating torrent . KaiShirou was caught up in the creation of another dragon.

Toushirou could now do three attacks!

Kaishirou tried to get out but it was already too late. The cold gripped and then buried her, sapping away all her strength. Numbing her mind, incapacitating her body.

The shock was so great she couldn't breath. The cold bit into her deeply. Agonizing knives piercing all over. She wanted to scream. The pain too great even for her but her voice was drowned in the same cold, the very air inside her _frozen_.

Numbness invaded section by section. The pain was fading.

A bad sign she knew but there was nothing she could do. She felt so drained. A tiredness that pulled at every part of her body. Kaishirou felt as if she was dreaming.

She thought she heard a voice echoing in the darkness.

Was that a cool hand removing her blindfold?

A hand shaking her head?

Worried emeralds floated above her. Splitting off into gleaming shards of viridian and then into darkness.

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Thank you for reading


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